MAX held a First Friday cocktail meet & greet at Eclipse Bar in the Hyatt Regency San Francisco on Sept. 6. The social group for gay men and their friends goes back to 1988, and continues to welcome new members at frequent social events.

A wine-tasting evening at The Academy, held Friday, August 30, included tips on tasting from sommelier Michael Wells. On the airy back patio, guests enjoyed sipping various wines while learning more about different vintages and kinds of wines.

in considering 'meaning' as a core need, I've reflected on all we do and are as LGBTQ kinksters. Puncture the veneer of the superficial armor of our displayed sexual proclivities; the most satisfying are founded upon a sense of meaning.

On Sunday, September 8 comic Gina Yashere returns to Freight and Salvage in Berkeley for a hilarious night of gay comedy. Yashere will be joined by fellow funny people Sampson McCormick, Karinda Dobbins, and Lisa Gedudig.

"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face," is one of those songs that's pretty much guaranteed to swell the emotions. Natalie Douglas sings it next weekend during her Roberta Flack tribute shows at Feinstein's at the Nikko, with a renewed family connection.

James "Robbie" Robinson visited San Francisco while stationed at Parks Air Force base in the East Bay in 1957. After being cruised on Market Street, the man led him to the Silver Dollar Bar. His visit began a gay journey in creating community.